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It's no joke, LaRusso! Mike Barnes will return for Cobra Kai season 5

Looks like Terry Silver just bought himself a champion.

With only one month to go before the season 5 premiere of Cobra Kai on Sept. 9, Netflix has released 10 new images from the upcoming episodes — one of which confirms the hopes and dreams of Karate Kid fans everywhere. Behold:

*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5 Cobra Kai. Sean Kanan as Mike Barnes in Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2022
*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5 Cobra Kai. Sean Kanan as Mike Barnes in Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2022

Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix Sean Kanan is back as Mike Barnes in 'Cobra Kai'

Yep, that's Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) — a.k.a. the sadistic karate bully Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) hired to terrorize and pulverize Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) in The Karate Kid Part III. Fans have been anxiously anticipating Barnes' return ever since the end of Cobra Kai season 4, which saw Silver wrest control of the Cobra Kai dojo from Sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove) — who he conveniently framed for attempted murder.

Of course, we still don't know how Barnes makes his grand entrance into the Cobra Kai universe, or who he's preparing to fight in the photo above. Scroll down for more new photos from the upcoming season. Here's Tory (Peyton List) carrying her ill-gotten trophy into the Cobra Kai dojo — which, we should note, seems to have gotten quite a makeover from Sensei Silver.

*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5 Cobra Kai. (L to R) Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver, Peyton List as Tory Nichols in Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2022
*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5 Cobra Kai. (L to R) Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver, Peyton List as Tory Nichols in Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2022

Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix Thomas Ian Griffith and Peyton List in 'Cobra Kai'

Silver has also recruited some new soldiers to help him train the Valley in the way of the fist. Alicia Hannah-Kim (pictured below) joins the cast as Kim Da-Eun, a stern-looking sensei in Silver's army.

*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5 Cobra Kai. Alicia Hannah-Kim as Kim Da-Eun in Cobra Kai. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5 Cobra Kai. Alicia Hannah-Kim as Kim Da-Eun in Cobra Kai. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022

Netflix Alicia Hannah-Kim in 'Cobra Kai'

Hold on, is that former Eagle Fang student Devon (Oona O'Brien) sparring with Cobra Kai "champion" Tori in the picture below? Has Devon gone to the dark side? Say it ain't so!

*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5 Cobra Kai. (L to R) Oona O’Brien as Devon, Peyton List as Tory Nichols in Cobra Kai. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5 Cobra Kai. (L to R) Oona O’Brien as Devon, Peyton List as Tory Nichols in Cobra Kai. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022

Netflix Oona O’Brien and Peyton List in 'Cobra Kai'

Alas, it appears that poor Kenny (Dallas Dupree Young, center) is still under Cobra Kai's "no mercy" spell.

*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5 Cobra Kai. (L to R) Joe Seo as Kyler, Dallas Dupree Young as Kenny in Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2022
*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5 Cobra Kai. (L to R) Joe Seo as Kyler, Dallas Dupree Young as Kenny in Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2022

Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix Joe Seo, and Dallas Dupree Young in 'Cobra Kai'

Though Daniel was supposed to close his Miyagi-Do dojo after losing at the All Valley, he wasn't about to honor a deal with men who have none. Enter Chozen (Yuji Okumoto, far right), who teams up with Daniel — and, apparently, Eagle Fang sensei Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka, far left) — to defeat Silver.

Cobra Kai. (L to R) William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence, Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, Yuji Okumoto as Chozen Toguchi in Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2022
Cobra Kai. (L to R) William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence, Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, Yuji Okumoto as Chozen Toguchi in Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2022

Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix William Zabka, Ralph Macchio, and Yuji Okumoto in 'Cobra Kai'

Welp, if the pool pic below is any indication, Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña, far right) must have made his way home after running away to Mexico to find his biological father. Robby (Tanner Buchanan, far left) does not seem to be too happy to have his old rival back in the Valley.

*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5Cobra Kai. (L to R) Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene, Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz in Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2022
*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5Cobra Kai. (L to R) Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene, Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz in Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2022

Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix Tanner Buchanan and Xolo Maridueña in 'Cobra Kai'

Wait a minute — is that Robby and Anthony LaRusso (Griffin Santopietro, third from left) getting ready to train with the students of Miyagi-Do in the picture below? Consider our minds blown.

*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5 Cobra Kai. (L to R) Gianni DeCenzo as Demetri, Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene, Griffin Santopietro as Anthony LaRusso, Jacob Bertrand as Eli 'Hawk' Moskowitz, Aedin Mincks as Mitch, Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso, Nathaniel Oh as Nate, Khalil Everage as Chris in Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2022

Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix Gianni DeCenzo, Tanner Buchanan, Griffin Santopietro, Jacob Bertrand, Aedin Mincks, Mary Mouser, Nathaniel Oh, and Khalil Everage in 'Cobra Kai'

And the worlds just won't stop colliding! It seems that Daniel's wife Amanda (Courtney Henggeler) is about to share a drink with her husband's nemesis, Terry Silver.

*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5 Cobra Kai. (L to R) Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver, Courtney Henggeler as Amanda Larusso in Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2022
*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5 Cobra Kai. (L to R) Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver, Courtney Henggeler as Amanda Larusso in Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2022

Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix Thomas Ian Griffith and Courtney Henggeler in 'Cobra Kai'

Who knows what Amanda and Carmen (Vanessa Rubio) are looking at here, but we're sure it has something to do with the ongoing karate battle for the soul of the Valley.

*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5 Cobra Kai. (L to R) Courtney Henggeler as Amanda Larusso, Vanessa Rubio as Carmen in Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2022
*Embargoed until 8/9/22 until 1 p.m. ET Cobra Kai Season 5 Cobra Kai. (L to R) Courtney Henggeler as Amanda Larusso, Vanessa Rubio as Carmen in Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2022

Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix Courtney Henggeler and Vanessa Rubio in 'Cobra Kai'

Cobra Kai season 5 premieres Friday, September 9 on Netflix.

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